The present exemplary embodiment relates to electric motors. It finds particular application in conjunction with motor assemblies including electronics modules such as control pods, and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the present exemplary embodiment is also amenable to other like applications.
Electric motors are used in a wide variety of applications. Many electric motors are packaged in a housing that includes drive components for controlling the operation of the motor. In some installations, an electric motor may be installed in an environment where it is exposed to environmental contaminants such as dust, moisture and/or liquids (e.g. cleaning chemicals, etc.). For example, motors used in food and beverage processing plants can be exposed to not only food products, but also cleaning chemicals that are used periodically to sanitize plant equipment.
To protect against exposure of the internal components of an electric motor assembly to such contaminants, previous motor designs have employed the attachment of secondary external packaging hardware to the rear of a motor's frame (e.g., housing). Such secondary packaging hardware is generally used to provide motor shaft rear bearing support and to create sufficient surface area to attach and IP (Ingress Protection rated) seal ancillary external electronic hardware through openings within the secondary packaging walls. The IP seal interface is therefore limited to the surface area of the secondary packaging and the ancillary electronic hardware. Therefore, interface features between any secondary/ancillary electronic hardware and the motor frame (e.g., heat sinks) require additional IP sealing, or must exist outside the protection of the IP seal. Accordingly, the prior approaches are faced with a tradeoff of the additional expense and/or space requirements of providing additional IP sealing or foregoing an IP seal for the interface features outside the primary IP seal. In addition, many prior art assemblies having housings made of multiple components that create seams in sealing surfaces between the housing and any secondary packaging. Such seams prevent effective sealing.